Prison Voices is a multidisciplinary project, led by the charity Philosophy in Prison, of which Jim Chamberlain is a Trustee. The project explores how the criminal justice system may silence the voices of those engaged in it, how and why this constitutes an injustice, and how this is a particular concern within the prison system. It considers how this kind of injustice affects its victims and its perpetrators, and ways in which, by education or management or training or by other means, it may be alleviated.
The project has so far included a series of online workshops and a one-day, multi-disciplinary conference, also called ‘Prison Voices’, which was funded by the British Academy. The conference took place at the University of Sheffield in November 2024, and it involved a range of voices, including those of ex-prisoners, philosophers, criminologists, and legal and criminal justice professionals. It was supported by an invaluable Research Assistant, Charlie Potter, whose post was funded by a University of Sheffield Knowledge Exchange grant.
The next stage of the project will involve an edited collection, explaining and illustrating the problem of prison voices, and a public-facing report on how the prison system might adapt to meet the challenge of this longstanding injustice.
If you are interested in learning more about Prison Voices, then please contact Jim at j.p.chamberlain@sheffield.ac.uk.
Centre for Engaged Philosophy 